The government forces have arrested one of the suspects in the deadly bombing in Mindanao State University (MSU) in Marawi last Sunday, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines - Public Affairs Office (AFP PAO) on Friday, Dec. 8.
In a news update sent to DZRH, AFP PAO said the combined Task Force Marawi and Marawi City police captured the suspect, identified as Jafar Gamo Sultan or alias Jaf/Kurot, in an operation in Brgy. Dulay Proper, Marawi last Dec. 6.
“The suspect, who was apprehended in an operation in Brgy Dulay Proper in Marawi, is a companion of a certain Omar, the person identified by witnesses to have placed the improvised explosive device at the Dimaporo Gymnasium,” it said.
The Task Force Marawi and Marawi City police reportedly seized two motorcycles.
“This development shows the seriousness of the government in capturing the perpetrators of the terrorist attack on innocent civilians and in ensuring that similar incidents will not happen again. It also demonstrates the AFP's commitment to its mandate as protector of the people and the state,” AFP PAO said.
The state forces' public affairs office also released closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage taken outside MSU's Dimaporo Gymnasium, an hour before the explosion.
Based on the CCTV footage, a man in a black jacket and red cap was seen walking towards MSU's Dimaporo Gymnasium at 6:09 AM and exited at 6:13 AM.
At exactly 7:03 AM, another guy wearing a white polo and carrying a black tote bag was seen walking to the gym.
The guy in the white polo then left MSU’s Dimaporo Gymnasium without the tote bag and he was holding an allegedly trigger phone at 7:11 AM. The man in a black jacket then followed him.
The explosion reportedly happened a minute later, at exactly 7:12 AM.
Last Wednesday, Dec. 6, Philippine National Police Public Information Office Chief Jean Fajardo first revealed the names and photos of the two other suspects in the bomb attack.
According to Fajardo, they were identified as Kadapi Mimbesa and Arsani Membesa, who are both members of the Dawlah Islamiya (DI)-Maute group.
Both Kadapi and Arsani are facing criminal charges and have warrants of arrest.
